Requiem for a Reaper
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: His will has become his sword, his sword has become his fire. Fire casts a shadow. Shadow is his strength, his strength is his bond, his bond is his desire. Her desire is freedom. His, strength. He fights to win. She doesn't. Zanpaktou rebellion arc.
1. The Flame's Shadow

Ichigo ran, he ran for his very life, gasping and panting, throwing himself forward as the thin blade whisked through the air, and with it, came a few strands of his orange hair. This was insane! Urahara was batshit crazy! Who the hell just drew a sword out of their cane and started swinging it around like that?!

"Wait a minute," He began to think, "Why am I running? He pulled that sword out of his _cane_! There's no way he can cut me with it!"

Slowly, the strawberry began to turn-

Swish.

With a rush of steel, several more strands of orange hair flew into the air. The broken blade, damaged initially by Byakuya now fell to the ground, missing what little remained of its edge and left with little more than the guard and hilt.

"You let your guard down." Kisuke replied to the gobsmacked look upon the boy's face. "You thought, because I'm not a soul reaper, I couldn't have a zanpaktou." Twisting his thin sword to the left, Urahara frowned. "And right now, you're probably thinking there's no way I can hurt you."

A sigh escaped his lips.

"How naieve."

_'W-What the...._

"Awaken now! Benihime!"

With those words, the cane glowed red. Before his very eyes, that little thin blad contorted, twisted, distorted itself into a fearsome weapon. When at last the glow had subsided, Urahara held a flat blade with a crooked handle and no hilt.

"I assure you, this is a real zanpaktou. VERY real."

Ichigo recalled Renji saying something like that.

_"You can't even ask your zanpaktou its name? Pathetic!"_

Yeah, those were his exact words, and now they made the newly awakened shinigami think.

"A name? For my...zanpaktou?"

"Yes," A small smirk tugged at feature's of Kisuke's visage. "Each zanpaktou carries a unique name. This one, is..." Ichigo felt his gaze drawn to the gleaming sword held loosely in Kisuke's grip, and is if in response, a trickle of fear wormed its way into is heart. The blade seemed to sense this, and pulsed red. "Benihime, the red princess."

Faster than the eye could see, that same sword lunged for his throat.

"Now, let us show you."

**(Bleach Ost music: Enemy Unseen)**

_'Oh shit!'_

By Kami's grace, he somehow dodged the first strike, but still, an overflow of red reiyroku picked him up off his feet, mercilessly throwing the strawberry into the dirt, where he scrambled to his feet, only to find a shadow looming over him.

"The...hell?!" Ichigo started in surprise, rolling away from Urahara's strike, swaying under the second only to be violently thrown into the nearby boulder, courtesy of the third move, a brutal snap kick from Hat n Clogs. The impact didn't so much as hurt him, rather than surprise him that he was being so relentlessly outmanuevered.

"D-Damnit!"

Spitting out a clod of earth, Ichigo shook his head and _tried_ to rise-

Too late.

But before he could even think to run, Urahara swept forward from the smoke, Benihime already on a collision course with the young reaper's skull, with barely an inch to spare. No time, there was absolutely no way he could attack, _and_ evade at the same time.

Ichigo dropped flat to the floor.

Though he'd dodged the blazing blade, Ichigo hadn't taken into account just how _forcefully _Urahara had swung. In other words, the result of blocking, again through Ichigo Kurosaki through the rocky wall that lay behind him.

"I don't know what you're thinking," Kisuke began bringing Benihime up for a lunge, Ichigo had seen enough, and took that chance to run, scrambling to his feet, clutching the sword and hilt for all he was worth, which wasn't really much at this point.

But too late, Kisuke appeared before him, barring his path.

_'Swing! Swing Ichigo!' _A voice commanded, but it did him little good in the end.

By blocking, he was forced to his knees, and with another strike, both arms went entirely numb, and with that, he was left with only the hilt of his weapon.

"But if you try to go against me with _that_ inferior weapon...

"I _will_ kill you."

And though surprise now mirrored his visage , it was gone in an instant, replaced by sheer terror. _'Shit!'_Thinking only to save himself, Ichigo did not attack, he did not stand his ground. No, he ran, ran as hard and fast as his legs could hope to carry him, then the footfalls of Urahara's sandals fell after him like hoofbeats.

_'I've gotta get away! I don't think he's kidding! He's really gonna kill me this time!'_

Benihime sliced the ground where he'd been only a heartbeat before, ripping out a huge chunk of stone as it came away. Dust and dirt flew everywhere, stinging at his eyes, choking his lungs, filling his mouth with acrid, dry taste, but still, still he ran._ 'This is so pathetic! _

He didn't care that his body screamed for rest. He didn't care that his lungs were burning, crying out for air. He didn't care that he was making a complete and total fool of himself. He didn't care.

_'What am I doing?!'_

He just had to...

_'Why am I running away?!'_

He had to _run._

_'Is this all the backbone I have?'_

He had to get away from here!

Without warning, his body jerked back half a step, for Urahara had grabbed him from behind, jerking his victim around by the collar, and now roughly _heaving _the boy to the ground, his face betraying nothing, a mask of cold emotion, all the while. Ichigo however, wore a look of pure terror, darting to the right, just before Benihime could claim his spirit.

_'Am I just a coward after all? A complete phony?'_

As if to insult him, the blade swatted him from behind with its broad edge, leaving Ichigo unharmed, but still assiting the strawberry in a face plant, that which broke his nose, leaving the acrid taste of blood in his mouth and on his tongue.

_'I'm so disgusted with myself!'_

But still he kept running, desperate to get away.

_'How pathetic! It's pathetic!'_

Again the shadow loomed....

_'PATHETIC!'_

_Yes, that would be you. _A rich, feminine voice echoed in his ears, bringing him pause.

**(Music ends)**

All the colors of the world faded to grey, faceless, nothinginess.

"Huh?"

There, floating in the abysmal darkness before, were two slender women. The first wore a black shihakusho and hakama pants, her long jet black hair streaming behind her, framing her face as if blown by some invisible wind. Her eyes were a golden yellow, keen and slitted, much like the kind you'd expect to find from a serpent.

The other was slightly more petite than the latter, and wore a mask, typical of what you'd expect to see from a ninja, over the lower part of her face, the cloth eclipsing both her nose and lower jawline. Furthermore, her style of dress seamed to be a bit more conservative, judging by the looser red kimono and red cape she had herself drapped in, its color outdone only by the fierce red of her crimson hair, which was a great deal longer than that of her companions, falling to the ground around her trailing cloak.

Like her sister, she shared the serpentine eye trait, though her eyes were a blazing red, rather than a pallid, sickly yellow. If not for their unique outfits, and mismatching eyes, Ichigo could have sworn they looked like they were....twins?

_Why are you running away, Ichigo? _The second asked him again, quietly.

"I-who the hell are you?"

**_"Kumori."_** The first jerked a thumb towards herself.

_"Kajii."_ The second answered. _"Together, we are your sword."_

"So....who are you again?"

_**"For crying out loud, Ichigo!" **That _was different, as the first woman, Kumori, scowled murderously, her voice taking on an almost malevolent tinge as she hoisted him up roughly by the shoulders. "**_Have you always been this friggin dense?!"_**

"I-uh...

**_"Urusai!"_**

All at once, he was released, not landing rudely upon the floor, but rather, put down gently, her hands clasping him firmly by the shoulders. Idly, he noted that _she_ wasn't quite as tall as he was, like he'd pictured her to be, perhaps a few inches shorter or so.

_You still haven't called us yet. _The second woman continued.

**(Bleach ost music: On the Precipice of Defeat)**

**_"Face forward, Ichigo!" _**The first insisted, looking him square in the eye, with such intensity that he actually froze there for a moment, both in his mind, and in the real world. When now she shook him, it was a gentle 'wake up' kind of shake._** "You should be able to hear it now."**_

_The only thing plugging your ears is your own fear. _The second nodded.

**_"There's only one enemy, and there's one of you. So what is there to be afraid of?" _**A smug, defiant smirk had tugged at the first's lips up until this point, but now, it collapsed into a cold, sinister smile. A cold hand caressed his face, sending chilling shiver down his spine before it came away, leaving a red palm imprint upon his face.

"Oi! Why the hell did you slap me?!" He yelped,

**_"Did it knock some sense into you?"_**

"Teme!"

**_"I'll just have to slap you again, then."_**

_"Leave him be, Kumori." _Kaji chastised her sister. _"Allow him to focus and call us."_

Kumori snorted and stalked back to her sister.

Ichigo mumbled a thank you, still painfull rubbing his sore cheek as the two women faced him. He made the mistake of looking into their eyes, then and instantly wished he hadn't, for he found himself spellbound and unable to pull away.

_**"Hear our voice/**Hear our voice."_

Voices, theirs, his, and countless others, suddenly rushed through his skull, flooding him with emotion. They began to speak as one, their words overlapping in places with eerie synchronicity.

_Abandon your fear._

_**"Turn and face him."** _

_"Don't give an inch"_

_**"Now Ichigo! Advance!"**_

_"Never Stop."_

_**"If you retreat you will age!"**_

_"Be afraid and you will die."_

At Ichigo's side, flashing into existence, the infamous blade bathed its master in light, mingled with that of the shattered hilt. His body, motionless until this point, now whirled about, grasping each hilt such force that his palms actually bled from the strain.

The cloth wrap of his hilt burned itself black, and the from the ruined hilt, a new weapon began to emerge.

His eyes snapped open, revealing his brown irises to have turned a deep, shocking red. The word ripped past his lips, as if it had been hanging on his tongue all the while, just waiting to be remembered.

_"Now**/Now!"**_

"Kumori no Kajihime! (Fire Shadow Princess, at least I THINK that's how its said)

Much to Urahara's surprise, Ichigo actually _swiped_at him with the hand that still held the newly named zanpaktou, bathed in black red light. Then the intense wave of spiritual pressure rushed outwards from the blade, eclipsing both zanpaktou and master within the smoke.

Urahara nimbly sidestepped the overflow of reiatsu that arced past him in a flash of azure crimson flame, spitting smoke and lightning every which way, almost as if a miniature thunderstorm had been born upon the blade's release.

As the smoke parted. Ichigo lay on the ground, gasping heavily.

For the first time during their scuffle, Urahara blinked.

"What?"

In his hands, Ichigo clutched a pair of two separate swords, each contained within a bright red sheathe. Wazikashi, Urahara realized, recognizing the sealed state of the blades, with their black hiltwraps, and bronze hand guards with inward-curved edges, a stylized flame pattern on the long sides, and a simple decorative slit on the short ones.

"A dual zanpakutou." Urahara breathed silently, both awed by the fact that Ichigo had sealed his zanpakutou, but more-so by the aforementioned sight that lay before his eyes. "I never expected this." He shuddered briefly, having been afforded a brief glimpse of Ichigo's shikai mere moments before.

If Ichigo's _shikai_looked like that, then he didn't want to see what happened when he achieved his bankai.

A low grunt alerted Kisuke, reminding him that Ichigo was still very much concious.

_Get him. Get him. _The insistent cries of his zanpakutou filled Kurosaki's mind, their dual voices always overlapping one another's, and nevere once speaking out of synch. **_"Beat the shit outta him!"_**

_'You don't have to tell me twice.'_

Removing the twin wazikashi from the stone in which they were embedded, Ichigo raised his head, revealing an uneasy smirk tracing his features. Stepping forward, the ground buckled beneath his feet, not from his weight, but from the sheer, uncontrolled reiatsu his body emitted.

"Alright Urahara-_san_," There was no need for pleasantries, not know, when his very soul screamed for payback. Twisting his swords' at a diagonal angle by the cloth Ichigo began to spin them about, their hilts locking together as they twirled.

"I hope you're able to dodge this." His voice was even, barely audible under the humming the two wazkiashi produced Brown eyes sparked their defiance as sparks began to fly from their tips.

"Huh?"

"Because right now...

Kisuke's frown turned to a scowl as the pinned cloth at Ichigo's shoulders now swelled, then abruptly shattered, spraying across the training grounds with the boy's next words. "I can't control this very well!" Evidently, he wasn't kidding, as that same surge became tangible, rushing across the abyss between them, ready obliterating anything that was unfortunate enough to be in its way.

_'I'd better not let that connect.' _Kisuke mused idly, looking on as the blast plowed through the ground towards his current position. _'But then again, I'd like to see just what kind of ability his sword posesses..._

With a shrug, he raised his blade, ruby red light oozing out from its hilt.

"Scream, Benihime."

Then Ichigo smirked.

"Haretsu sono yoru." (Rupture the night) Ichigo hissed, his eyes narrowing coldly as the twin Wazikash began to pulse an ominous black, feeding more and more energy into the blast as the shikai transformation occurred out of sight.

And the entire basement/underground training field was smothered in black light.

* * *

***Grins like Gin* My my, Ichigo with a NEW dual elemental zanpakutou, hmm? If that hasn't been done before, then I'll shoot myself in the head. Quite frankly, I've been toying with my new zanpakutou idea for awhile now, so I decided to give Komori no Kajihime to none other than Ichigo, because quite frankly. I think he relies WAY too much on Zangetsu and Getsuga Tenshou. Read? Review? Enjoy? **

**Epic Quote of the day: Why do you strive to save such a wretched race, even though they spurn your efforts? Come. Join _us_, for there is nothing else you can do. Together, Fire and Shadow are unstoppable, there is nothing that can harm them. Join us, and this pathetic, wretched little planet will be ours to play with as we please. Join us, or you will die.**

**Next time: The demon of the ashen fire, and the slothful**


	2. A Twisted Instinct

Ichigo thought back on that day with a small, rueful smile. It felt like such a long time ago, but in reality, it had really only been a few months since he'd gotten his powers back, charged into the Sereitei, fought Ikkaku, Renji, Kenpachi, Byakuya, Toshirou, Aizen (Though not necessarily all in that order), suceeded in rescuing Rukia, then finally returned to the world of the living.

As always, _Kumori no Kajihime_was sheathed at his hip, held in place by the white sash Ichigo had taken to wearing whenever he was in his soul reaper form. Briefly, he gripped her twin hilts, and sighed angrily.

Now, he stifled a growl as he continued his patrol along the skies. Rukia had been in critical condition ever since Aizen's attack, and even now, it remained terribly uncertain if she'd even pull through. He'd just come back from the Soul Society, too, grief-stricken that there had been no visible change, other than she'd nearly gone into cardiac arrest last night.

He blamed the Soul Society and Aizen for that, but moreso, he blamed himself. He was still playing the blame game in fact, when the senkaimon abruptly opened in midair before him, and someone stepped out.

"So...this is Karakura Town?"

Ichigo scowled.

"Who...the hell are you?"

"Hmm?" Now, he was noticed.

The man now standing before him was roughly the same height, and had messy black hair. His eyes were narrowed, and had dark marks around them. His skin was extremely pale, and his fingernails were unusually long. He wore a long coat with a furred collar, the sight of it causing Ichigo to bristle slightly. The expression the strange man wore said nothing less of depression or sorrow, or otherwise plain boredom. He approached slowly, his eyes never leaving Kurosaki's face.

"Such a bother." The man sighed. "I suppose I might as well introduce myself to you. My name is Muramasa."

Ichigo didn't bother to answer, not at first.

"So, _Muramasa_," He began, thumbing the hilts of his short swords, "What the hell do you want with me?"

"I have no business with you." Muramasa replied. "However, your _zanpakutou_ is another story."

"What do you want with my zanpakutou?" Ichigo took a small step back.

"To liberate it, of course." Without another word, Muramasa launched himself forward, placing a hand upon the shinigami's chest before Ichigo could even hope to have any chance of evading him.

_'Shit!' _Chestnut brown eyes flew wide open in surprise, and he braced himself for whatever attack was forthcoming..

Nothing happened. He actually felt resistance, and tried to push past it, into the shinigami's inner world. Immediately, Muramasa was met with a wall of killer intent, so fierce, that he actually shuddered before a pair of voices screeched at him:

_**"Leave us alone/**Leave us alone!"_

Startled by this unexpected and sudden development, Muramasa could only wildly backstep way from Ichigo's increudlous shout.

"Oi, was that supposed to do something? Because I didn't feel a damn thing."

"Impossible." Muramasa scowled, blinked slowly, surprised that his technique had produced virtually no effect. No, not in the least. Kurosaki Ichigo remained where he stood, a subtle look of both amusement and confusion flowing across his face.

_'His zanpakutou truly is stubborn then, to resist my powers. Indeed, their bond is incredibly strong. I can't even approach them.'_

From what he'd felt in the brief instant before the prescence had forced him out, Ichigo's zanpakutou was quite young, even by shinigami and zanpakutou terms. Zanpakutou were at least as old as their wielder. Which should make them sixteen going on seventeen, give or take.

This mere fledgling had been able to refuse him? Incredulous, Muramasa shook his head in disbelief, trying not to tremble after what he'd just witnessed during his brief glimpse of Ichigo's inner world.

"Oi, you gonna answer me or what?"

"I see." Muramasa sighed, and extended his hand, summoning a thin katan with a flick of his long fingernails. "It appears that I will have to cut you down in order to unburden your zanpakutou."

"Unburden?" Ichigo scowled. "You make it sound like I'm the bad guy here."

"I'm speaking figuratively."

"Oh? Take a look at this and then let me if I'm being figurative."

Ichigo sucked in a quick breath, and made a crossing motion with his arms.

_"Haretsu sono yoru."_(Rupture the night) Ichigo hissed, his eyes narrowing coldly as the crisscrossed wazikashi began to radiate heat, pulsing an ominous black smoke and flame, their respective hilt wraps changing to a deep blue crimson as he finished speaking, "Kumori no Kajihime!" (Fire Shadow Princess)

As Ichigo spoke the release phrase, the glowing embers faded, leaving him with a pair of jagged katana. There wasn't a straight linge to be found on them, the steel itself had a jagged, zig-zag pattern to it, serated edges that gleamed in the moonlight. At the base of the hilts, was a long red chain, connecting them to one another.

"Impressive." Muramasa commented, removing one hand from his pocket. Ichigo eyed those overly grown fingernails with disgust, but made no effort to interrupt. "I take it that your zanpakutou is another elemental type then?"

"What?"

Muramasa flicked a stray ember off his fur collar, his red eyes taking on an almost eerie light as the flames died down.

"I have already met the lord of ice, Hyourinmaru. I have spoken with the zanpaktou of water and electricity, Sogyo no Kotowari. I have even conversed with the dual blade of wind, Katen Kyokotsu. All of them refused to ally themselves with me, that is, until I reminded them of how their shinigami had mistreated them."

"Don't bullshit me." Ichigo warned, about to reach to his face. "If you do, you'll end up dead."

"Already, many more powerful zanpakuto have agreed to come with me. The prettiest zanpakuto, Sode no Shirayuki; the black demon, Kazeshini; the death-in-two-hits specialty, Suzumebachi; the miserable man, Wabisuke; the innocent girl, Tobiume, many have joined my cause-

"Didn't you hear me?" Ichigo's dangerous growl came a second too late. "I said...I don't like liars!"

Fire flowed from the guard, up the right blade, until it was consumed.

_"Souji Kire!"_ (Sweeping slice)

Muramasa arched an eyebrow, but made no effort to evade the onrushing wall of flame. Instead, he calmly raised his palm, allowing the technique to bounce harmlessly off it, and instead, crash into the ground, where it left a crater the size of a soccer field.

"A fire type, eh?" Reappearing on the nearby rooftop, Muramasa stared at the smoldering crater for a moment longer, then slowly began turning his gaze back to Ichigo. "Those are exceedingly rare-

Ichigo wasn't there.

_"Kage senshi!"_ (Shadow Stab)

From Muramasa's own _shadow_, Ichigo emerged, his katana lashing out to claim the man's life. But at the very last moment, just as the steel grazed his cheek, Muramasa's backward leap carried him over the shinigami's head and to safety.

"I missed." Ichigo snorted, eyeing the droplet of blood that down _Kaji's_edge, whilst Komuri still remained clean, and evidently, she wasn't too happy about it. "You're a slippery one, ya know that?"

"Interesting." Muramasa maintained the dispassionate visage throughout his landing, though his voice now held an intrigued tone to it as he delicately landed upon his heel. "Not only does your zanpakutou lend you the abilities of flame, but you can even the shadows themselves are at your command. I'd expect nothing less of you, Kurosaki Ichigo."

"How do you know me?"

"I know a great deal more than you would think." Muramasa replied, readying his blade once more. "And for this reason, I know that you stand no chance of defeating someone me."

"Is that so?!" Ichigo snarled, another massive swathe of flame swelling from his blade. "Well then-

"Wait. Allow me to ask you something."

"What?" Ichigo snarled.

"What are your feelings considering the Gotei Thirteen, if you don't mind me asking? I originally came here for another purpose, but your situation has left me...intrigued."

"Huh?" Taken aback, Ichigo could only blink in surprise. What the hell was this? First this guy attacks him and says he's going to 'liberate his zanpakutou' and now, he's asking twenty questions?

"I...don't trust them." Ichigo answered at last.

"And why is that?"

"Would you trust a pack of liars that tried to murder you?" Ichigo realized his mistake and clamped his mouth shut.

"You should join my cause, then." Muramasa prodded. "We both share an animosty towards the soul society for the wrongs that have been done towards us, so why not take this chance for revenge?"

"Tch." Ichigo snorted. "Yeah right. I can already tell what's gonna happen with your little war, so no thanks."

Muramasa turned and walked away, gesturing for Ichigo to follow. When they had gone a fair distance away, he stopped and looked at the boy, who in turn paused, glaring right back at him. "If you do not join, then that means you will stay and fight with the other shinigami is that correct?"

The vizard nodded. "Even when you and your so called zanpakuto army attack, I'll fight you. You can count on that."

"So I see. Your loyalty is… certainly unbreakable, isn't it?" Muramasa leaned forward, until he was face-to-face with Ichigo . "But… you do realize that if you and your zanpakutou stay with _them_, there is an even larger chance that you will be injured. Or maybe, even _she_ could get hurt."

Ichigo eyes widened, first with surprise, and then with rage. "You're trying to get me to join just to protect-."

"Isn't that what you want? To keep her safe? I have gathered all the strongest zanpakuto, and I am certainly going to go offer to more. With all the spirits against you, there is almost no chance that the two of you, let alone a bedridden shinigami, will survive. But, if you two join, then attack against Rukia Kuchiki will be prevented. I will make it a rule that the only zanpakuto who can attack a wielder, must be the wielder's zanpakuto, and I will even make an exception in the case of Kuchiki Rukia. That way, the only way she can be harmed is if you choose to attack her." Muramasa had a triumphant look on his face throughout. "So what do you say, Kurosaki Ichigo?"

"I can't believe you, you godamn sonova bitch. " Ichigo hissed furiously, his eyes briefly flickering golden black, a sure sign that his inner hollow was getting riled up by his anger. His tone held the maturity of a grown man, even though he was only sixteen. "I swear, I'm gonna-

"So which would be rather prefer? The possibility of the two people you love most in the world dying, or joining me?"

Ichigo glared daggers at him, wishing with all his heart that looks really could kill. Kumori no Kajihime seethed as well, their reaitsu nearly boiling over and burning Ichigo's hands in their intensity.

"Come with me, and I assure you, Kuchiki Rukia shall not be harmed."

Ichigo glared at him for a moment longer, before quietly sheathing his swords, careful not to damage them in his anger. He was briefly tempted to go bankai and obliterate Muramasa, but doing so here would likely wipe out most, if not all, of Karakura. Ichigo knew couldn't quite control its destructive power yet, and no matter how angry he was, he would not risk the destruction of his home town, all over some.

And he would NOT risk Rukia's safety.

Soul Society or not.

"Fine." He hissed. "I'll join you."

Muramasa smiled thinly as the _senkaimon_ popped opened once more behind him. Two hell butterflies fluttered out, one landing on Ichigo's shoulder, and the other on Muramasa's. The sliding gate stretched wider, revealing what looked like a subterranean cave.

"Excellent. Now, this way, if you please. I'd like to introduce you to your new allies."

Somehow, Ichigo got the feeling that this whole thing had been planned out from the very beginning. He blinked as he felt a faint tingling inside his head, a sure sign that his zanpakutou was trying to calm him down again.

_**"**Don't worry Ichigo."_

**_"We'll kick his ass if he tries anything. Besides, as long as we're together..."_**

_**"We're unstoppable/**We're unstoppable."_

As Muramasa stepped into the light, Kurosaki Ichigo nodded, and spared one final glance around his hometown. Why did he suddenly have a terrible sense of dread, coiling deep inside his chest? Something told him he really, really shouldn't be doing this, and yet, and yet, here he was, going ahead after all.

"Yeah," He sighed, stepping into the light, shivering as the warm, damp air hit his face. "I hope you're right."

**_Next time: Bitter allies, confused enemies._**


	3. Bitter Allies, Bitter Enemies

**Enjoy! I tried to keep everyone in character, so review please!**

"We're here," Muramasa declared, his voice little more than a whisper.

Ichigo shook his head wildly to clear it of the fuzziness he felt. When he was finished, he glanced around to examine his surroundings. He was in a dark cave, so there was little to see, except for a staircase nearby.

Muramasa gestured to the stairs with a wave of his hand. "Please, go down. But do be quiet, it's late, and the others are probably asleep. I wouldn't like you to awaken them."

Ichigo didn't want to do what the man said, he didn't want to do anything that would give the appearance that he was following orders. So with a soft snarl, he stalked towards the staircase, leaving Muramasa to follow .

As he made his way down the stairs, Ichigo realized that the clearing beneath him was the ideal place for a club or at least something along those lines. There was a table near a wall, and further out there was a small spring. There were many ledges along the rocky walls, and candles flickered, providing low but acceptable light. When at last he'd reached the bottom of the stairs, Ichigo scowled.

_"Yo, this place ain't too bad." _His hollow's voice remarked snidely. "_I still don't trust this guy though. I say we kill him first chance we get."_

_'Finally, something we both agree on.'_

_"Yeah, well don't get used to it."_

"Does this place qualify in your terms?" Muramasa asked. Ichigo didn't answer, after all, he hadn't even heard him to begin with.

Just then, a golden fly zipped around him, and he swung at it in annoyance. The fly flew even quicker, occasionally letting out a cry of protest. He was just about to get it when a man's voice said, "Please stop. That is not an insect you are swatting at, but the zanpakuto, Suzumebachi."

Ichigo froze, and peered closely at it. Oh. It was actually a small girl, sorta like a fairy, now that he noticed the golden glow around. And she looked pretty mad. "Sorry."

Suzumebachi glared at him, and then went over to the man who had spoken up. The man was extremely skinny, and had long dark hair. He carried a metal ball on his shoulder, and a stone tablet on his back, something that confused Ichigo greatly, but he chose not to ask. "I am Wabisuke. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Same to you. And, uh, sorry again, Suzumebachi."

"Whatever." The little glowing zanpakuto muttered sullenly. Now, some of the zanpakutou were beginning to stir, their sleep having been disturbed by the ruckus. Muramasa exhaled quietly, trying to hide his irritation.

"If someone had just tried to crush you with his huge arm, wouldn't you want more of an apology?" A quiet voice spoke up.

Ichigo glanced over, then down, to see a young girl with dark brown hair staring up at him. She had a look of innocence on, though behind her were two twin boys who were staring at him as though challenging him to hurt her.

"I believe you must give Suzumebachi a more sincere apology." The girl continued before following his gaze to the boys behind her. She then blinked and looked back up at him. "By the way, my name is Tobiume. And those two are Sogy-chan and Koto-chan, otherwise known as Sogyo no Kotowari."

Ichigo nodded awkwardly at them, and then turned to face a purple-haired lady with some creepy bone symbols on her clothes. He looked questioningly at her, and also realized that she was wearing an eye patch. Beside her, sat a smaller, slimmer girl, who was dressed in loose fitting garb, typically

"And you are?"

"That is the dual zanpakutou, Katen Kyokotsu."

She noticed Ichigo, and looked about to say something-

"Oi! Muramasa!"

Ichigo blinked out the daze, and took a small step back as what could only be described as a black demon, landed next to him. This had to be Hisagi's zanpakutou, Kazeshini, those weapons were a dead giveaway. In fact, as he eyed the congregation, he was beginning to see that there was quite a sizable bunch here, some of which he recognized more than others, just by appearance.

"What the hell?" The demon snarled in a screechy voice, "What's a shinigami doing here?"

"Kurosaki Ichigo is an important guest." Muramasa's echoing voice answered from across the cavern. "He is to remain unharmed." A ripple of surprise ran through the crowd of zanpakutou, everyone finally beginning to realize and recognize just who this orange haired stranger was. Kurosaki Ichigo made no reply at first, but zanpakutou was clearly still with him, so why on earth had Muramasa brought him here?

"Bullshit!" Kazeshini snarled, shouldering his scythes. "We don't need no stinkin' shinigami!"

"Jeez," Ichigo remarked suddenly. "No wonder Hisagi never releases you, you're constantly on PMS mode. I'd be afraid to wield you too, if I constantly had to put up with your bitchy attitude."

"Eh?" Kazeshini frowned. "What...did...you say....

Hozukimaru gave a low whistle, and Ruri'iro Kujaku stifled a laugh as he wrapped himself within his dark feathers.

"My my, it seems you've angered him."

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY?!" Kazeshini's howl was enough to make some of his fellow zanpakutou wince, but Ichigo wasn't frightened, not in the least. He'd gone up against each of the espada, and then, after he'd finally mowed down Ulquiorra, he'd been given the pleasure of fighting a hollowfied Aizen, and _that _made someone like Kazeshini look about as scary as a wet and declawed kitten.

So it was with great confidence that he stood his ground.

"You heard me." The vizard all but spit back, a trickle of frustrated aggravation leaking through to his words. "And if you're trying to scare me, then you can just forget it. I've killed hollow with a bigger bite than you, and even they didn't bite half as much as you bark."

Kazeshini growled furiously. "Yeah? Well then you shouldn't be afraid of _this bite!"_He threw out his blades simultaneously, both spinning towards the man. But much to his annoyance, Ichigo didn't flinch. He simply stood there as the weapons whirled closer and closer.

Finally, at the last moment, Ichigo drew. He pointed his wazikashi so that the tip was facing the coming weapons, and then in a few swift movements he had gently knocked aside both blades, hooked the chain with his sword, and pinned it to the ground. The twin weapons lay flat, and _Kumori no Kajihime_ was standing straight and victorious.

Ichigo's smirk met Kazeshini's disbelieving shriek.

"Wanna say that again?"

"Urusei!" Kazeshini howled, a darker aura surging around him. "Say another word and I'll kill you!"

"If you can, that is." Ichigo's grin grew slightly as he withdrew his zanpakutou from the ground. "Besides-

"Hakuren." A voice commanded quietly, causing both combatants to whip around at its sourse. Ichigo hissed in surprise, his flash step throwing him violently backwards, whilst Kazeshini did the same with his own high speed movement.

A wall of ice now seperated the too. A woman in white smiled serenely at both shinigami and zanpakutou, lowering her. "Please, we are all allies here. We should not be fighting amongst ourselves."

Kazeshini looked like he wanted to say something, but shook his head.

"Damn shinigami." He grumbled, stalking off, before vanishing into thin air.

"Well then," Muramasa turned back to the stairs, satisfied that he'd only return to find someone wounded but not killed. "I'll leave you to get acquainted then, Kurosaki Ichigo. I have to speak with another zanpakutou."

"Who?" Sogy no Kotowari asked inquisitively.

"The zanpakutou of Kuchiki Byakuya." Muramasa answered quietly. And with a loud cracking sound, he simply dissapeared into thin air, leaving Ichigo to glare at the receding form of the smoldering zanpakutou.

"So..."

Ichigo turned his attention to the one known as Katen Kyokotsu. She and, a few of the other female zanpakutou, the sole exception being Sogyo no Kotowari, were staring at him inquisitively.

"Neh neh, mister! What brings you here?

Ichigo could only scratch the back of his head.

"Well...

**_Next time: Ichigo's slightly different perspective._**


	4. A New Perspective

"Nani?" Tobiume blinked slowly. "So that's why you're here?"

"Pretty much." Ichigo shrugged. "It's not because I want to be."

"Neh neh!" Sogyo no Kotwari asked eagerly. "What can your zanpakutou do, anyways? Is it shy? Is that why it won't come out, neh, neh?"

"_Kumori_ controls shadow, _Kajihime_controls fire." Ichigo explained, giving his twin wazikashi an appreciative glance before returning his attention to the brothers. "And no, they really _would_ come out if they wanted to, but they just don't feel like it right now."

"Show us! Show us!" The twins chanted.

Ichigo blinked.

"Well, I can't just force them to materialize if they don't want to."

"Then just show us your shikai."

"Alright alright. I'll give you a sneak peak."

Sogyo no Kotowari plopped down on the nearest seat they could find, which in this case, happened to be Katen Kyokotsu's lap. She scowled for a moment, and considered dislodging the little devils', but something told her that wasn't a wise idea. Everyone else just sat on either the ground, or a nearby boulder.

"Alright." Ichigo grunted, and opened his palms. "Here we go." An orange black glow illuminated him for a moment, his hands curling into claws as a low, continuous shout barreled itself out of his throat.

"Kasai Tama!"

With a sizzling pop, two perfectly shaped soccer ball sized spheres' of fire appeared in Ichigo hands. A few of the zanpakutou made sounds of approval, whilst the rest looked on spellbound. Tensing his shoulders, Ichigo whirled, and lobbed the first into the lake, where it created a small explosion, spraying everyone with a fine mist of water.

The second, he held between his hands, molding it and shapping it between his fingertips, lengthening, extending, forging an entirely new creation altogether. By the time he'd finished crafting it, Ichigo had made what looked like a blade of pure fire. He held it aloft, and made a few sweeping slashes with it, each time leaving a glowing after image in its wake. But before they could marvel at it any further, Ichigo tilted the blade of fire down towards his mouth, parted his lips, then abruptly swallowed it whole.

As everyone gasped, the vizard inhaled sharply and slapped both palms togther. Moments later, he whirled towards an unocupied boulder, and spoke a single sentence.

"Kisoku Kadou." (Breathing Vortex)

The unfortunate slab of stone never stood a chance. It shattered into a thousand tiny pieces as Ichigo spit the ball of fire at it.

As the fire gushed from his lips, even the ever silent Tenken was awed. This boy's ability to manipulate fire was absurd, yet here he was, wielding the element as if it were his very own.

"Sugoi!" Sogyo no Kotowari laughed, but Ichigo was not yet done.

"Kage Bunshin." At this command, he slashed at his own shadow. Moments later, said shadow seemingly _detached_itself from Ichigo's feet and shuffled a few steps to the right, taking on ethereal solid form as it went, filling out and gaining mass, then shape. It was only a silhouette, and you couldn't really see it well in the dark, but as the fire illuminated it, everyone saw that it really was a _clone made of shadows._

He was exactly like Ichigo, heck, he even had a shadow pair of wazikashi strapped to his side.

"Wow!" Sogy-chan and Koto-chan truly knew no fear as they bounded up to the shadow and summarily began to poke him to see if he was solid, which to their delight, he was. "Look! Another Ichigo! Ichigo made _another_Ichigo!"

"Boys." Katen's voice called as the bunshin tapped its foot impatiently. "Don't poke the clone."

It, the shadow, mimed a laugh as they scrambled back towards Katen Kyokotsu, before giving a low, extravagant bow to a still relatively quiet Tobiume. Surprised, the girl bowed in kind, then suddenly whipped one of her bells at him, casting a ball of fire from the ornament towards the doppleganger.

The shadow tilted his head like a sparrow, then caught the proffered gift in his right palm, and began to twirl the sphere round and around on its pointer finger. Again, it bowed, and again, Tobiume tossed another sphere of fire at it. To everyone's amusement, the shadow caught this one as well, and actually began to juggle the flaming spheres, not seeming to care as the number eventually increased to five.

Finally, just as the sixth sphere was given to him, the shadow tossed all the flaming globules into the air, where they exploded beneath the ceiling, into a series of multi colored lights, ranging from orange to yellow, red, and even smattered with a touch pink.

Ichigo calmly slapped a high five with his shadow copy, which then once more attached itself to his feet and lay flat upon the ground.

Sogyo no Kotowari was beyond thrilled.

"WAI!" The twins let out a cry of delight at the end of display. "Again! Again! Do it again! We wanna see your bankai this time!"

"Sorry," Ichigo shook his head. "I can't let anyone see it."

"Waaaaah?" Sogy-chan whined.

"Why not?" Koto-chan begged. "We won't tell anyone, promise!"

"Yeah!" Sogy-chan seconded. "Pinky swear!"

"Sorry, but I just can't." Now there was a trace of sadness in those chestnut brown eyes as Ichigo sheathed his wazikashi. "If I were to release it, here, with everyone around....you'd all be dead in less than ten seconds."

A dismal mood fell over the zanpakutou. Ten seconds? Was his bankai really that powerful? Sogyo no Kotowari remembered Jushi-chan saying that Ichigo's bankai was scary, but now they were even more curious as to what it was. Katen Kyokotsu had likely been the only one to really have seen it during the Battle of Karakura, but even _she_ seemed perplexed by this declaration.

"Maaaaan." Haienko whined, a bored and disinterested expression on her face as she curled up to go back to sleep, "What a tease."

"Aha!" Sogyo no Kotowari's sudden cry surprised everyone and nearly knocked the human/cat hybrid clear off her precarious perch. "We know why! Strawberry-san's a vizard-thingy!"

"It's not a _thingy_." Ichigo tried to keep a straight face, but upon failing to do so, allowed himself a small grin. "It's a dangerous power that I only use when I absolutely have to."

"Oh, you mean he's one of those guys that wear a mask?" Haineko all but purred. She'd barely been conscious after Allon tore out Matsumoto's hip, but she _had_gotten a glimpse of those other mask wearing guys, the one's who had arrived to mop up the rest of the espada.

"Can we see it?" Tobiume asked politely

Ichigo hesitated, then reached up to his face.

"Brace yourself. You'll only be able to see it for a second."

"A second should be more than enough."

Ichigo said nothing more as he lifted his left hand up to the exposed side of his face. With a swift movement, the mask began to grow as he waved his palm over it, the white bone moving like milk as it molded itself into a ghastly skull

Black light gathered into his hand, then molded itself across the rest his face. Now, Kurosaki wore the infamous mask, its twin black stripes the only source of color on the otherwise white porcelain. His gold and black eyes were still burning on the zanpakutou ahead of him, all of whom were struck speechless but just how sinister his reaitsu had become.

**"Satisfied?" **Ichigo's voice came, distorted behind the surge of hollow reaitsu that came from the mask. **_"I told you yo_**u'll only see it for a second." As Ichigo finished, he whisked a palm over the mask dispelling itself with a flick of his wrist, his reaitsu dropping back down to that of a shinigami's, rather than that of a hollows.

For a moment, the zanpakutou remained silent.

"We want a mask too!"

"It's not that simple!"

"Well then," Sode no Shirayuki finally spoke, "I suppose we'll be able to see your bankai once we attack the shinigami?"

"Not likely." Ichigo's tone darkened. "The only way you'll see my bankai...is if you're about to be killed by it."

Sode no Shirayuki stiffened slightly. Was that a spike of killer intent she'd just felt from Ichigo? Surely he was less than thrilled that she'd abandoned Rukia, but after the winter war had left her bedridden and comatose, she held no regrets about leaving someone whom she doubter would ever wake up.

"Alright," Hozukimaru yawned loudly, breaking the impasse. "I don't know about you chibi's, but I'm taking a nap. It's too damn late for me to still be awake."

Hyourinmaru nodded silently and walked off to a corner to be by himself.

"I agree. I suggest we all rest while we still can."

--

_(That night)_

"Ichigo-san."

"Huh?" The shinigami opened his eyes blearily, still drowsy from sleep. He nearly fell out of the hamock he'd made himself. He started in surprise, but then recognized Tobiume staring down at him, standing on a boulder, to be level with him. "Whuzzat?"

"I had a bad dream."

The girl hugged both arms to herself, trying to hold back a shiver, but he could hear her teeth chattering, and the thin mist that came from her breath. The temperature had dropped several degrees as the night dragged on, but he hadn't even noticed. _Kumori-Kajihime _was always a constant source of warmth for him, so he hadn't even been affected by the fact that Hyourinmaru had pretty much made the entire cave an icebox. Now, as he glanced around, he saw that nearly everyone had snuggled up to someone for warmth this night.

Gonryomaru lay at the feet of Tenken, propped against the back of the giant zanpakutou. Ruiro Kujaku had wrapped himself in his feathers for warmth, but the fact remained that Hozukimaru was laying nearby surely kept them both warm.

Suzemabachi slumbered quietly on the shoulder of Wabisuke, who looked suprisingly undisturbed by the cold, even though he didn't have anything more than a ragged pair of hakama pants to wear.

Ichigo was slightly amused to see that even Kazeshini had found someone to snuggled up to, though his companion still wore a slight frown as she slept fitfully. Again, Ichigo doubted it was just Haineko's fur coat that was keeping the black demon warm. Poor Haineko. She'd probably have nightmares when she woke up in the morning.

Sogyo no Kotowari, were huddled around Katen Kyokotsu, both of them, to stay warm, and both dual zanpakutou looked to be quite content in the chilly night. Only Hyourinmaru and Sode no Shirayuki slept close to one another, and that was likely because they were both ice zanpakuto.

And this left little Tobiume all by her lonesome and in the cold.

"A-And I'm...c-cold." Tobiume sputtered at last. "A-Achoo!" A small sneeze now, and she sniffled pitifully. "Sorry."

_'Oh.' This _Ichigo could understand. This sorta thing had happened once or twice after mom died. Yuzu or sometimes even _Karin_ would have a nightmare, and wouldn't be able to go back to sleep.

"Huh." He sat up, rubbing at his eyes once more, then giving Tobiume an inquisitive glance. "I didn't know zanpaktou could catch cold?"

"J-Just b-because I used to b-be a sword doesn't mean I can't get s-sick-Achoo!"

_**"Shame** on you!" _Kajihime and Kumori, sounded just as tired as he was, if not more, did _not _sound the slightest bit pleased.

_'Eh?'_

_**"She's only a little girl! **And freezing to death! Put two and two together, baka!"_

_'Wha?!'_

"Huh?" Tobiume blinked in surprise at the question, her cheeks flushing a deep, rosy red, or perhaps that was due to the frigid chill in the air, or something else altogether. "Is...that okay?"

"Yeah, sure, I guess." Ichigo reluctantly patted the space beside him. "C'mon, look at you, you're freezing."

"Mmm...okay." She relented at last and sat down beside him.

Ichigo muttered something incomprehensible and turned over to go back to sleep.

Apparently, Tobiume had chosen to trust him wholeheartedly, for no sooner had he laid back down, then she snuggled up against him, burying her head in his chest, falling fast asleep, comforted by his protective arm around her.

Ichigo blinked, thought about moving her, sighed, then decided against it. Closing his eyes, he tried to force himself back into slumber, and tried not to think about his betrayal.

But sleep did not come so readily for Ichigo Kurosaki. His eyes popped open after fifteen seconds, accompanied by a frustrated snarl.

"Damnit."

He remained distracted by Katen's words, that and the latest idea that had occurred to him, during Muramasa's refusal to answer any of his questions. True, he had originally come here in order to guarantee Rukia's safety, but now he was actually starting to get attached to the zanpakutou here. Sure, they each had their own little quirks and flaws, and yeah, they bickered and argued half the time, but still...

They kinda felt family. He felt his animosity for the Soul Society beginning to grow. If the zanpakutou had really been treated as badly as he'd been told, then maybe they did deserve to rebel, at least some of them did.

_'Shit.' _He sighed, staring up at the ceiling and began to convince himself that he was in the right. _'No, I'm not doing anything wrong. I'm here to keep Rukia safe. That's all. That's all I came here to do. I'm not hurting anyone, and its not like they won't understand once I tell them. Besides, Muramasa's bound to let his guard down sooner or later. Then I'll get him._

**_"And what then?" _**A small part of him asked. **_"You'll go back to being the Sereitei's lapdog?"_**

_'No, its not like that-_

**_"Don't lie to yourself. Win or lose, you know what they'll do to you, once they realize you've stabbed them in the back.'_**

_'No! You're wrong!'_

**_"You'll be their little servant boy forever, on beck and call!"_**

_'I SAID NO! I'm not their servant, godamnit!'_

**_"Yes you are! Good little Ichigo, always following the rules, always-_**

_'Urusai! I'm not listening to you!'_

**_"Suit yourself."_**

_'I'm not..._Ichigo breathed. _'I'm not...I wont...I wont. I wont be their servant...ever.'_

And finally, blessed sleep took him.

**_Next time: Meeting the other's, making plans._**


End file.
